Happy Halloween!

 Hope your night was super spooky!

... and awesome.

Wishing you a fun, safe and

{and because this picture is just too perfect,}

(Basic Bodice Design Series) Sailing Into Autumn Dress

Here is my first design for the Basic Bodice Design Series. 

This dress actually inspired the series.  I had this mustard fabric, and wanted to combine it

with navy/white fabric.  The dress morphed into something different than my first idea, and I am so happy with the end result.  Emily loves it too.  

A girly bow, nautical hints, fun Autumn colors.

I created a nautical sash detail, with two covered buttons to add interest.

So ready for the world's longest tutorial? 

It walks you through the whole process - starting from a basic bodice pattern, 

all the way to the end.

Basic Bodice Design Series Inspiration

I am so excited for our fun series, which is officially starting tomorrow.  I have been working hard on a new dress for Emily that I am so excited to show you.  

Ever since we started this blog and I began sewing so much, every time I see a cute dress or a picture of one, I think... How could I make that?  Then I (at least try) to figure out how I would go about it. 

Because I am hoping that you (our lovely readers) can get into the spirit of this series and create your own looks, (which you can post in our linky parties or emailed to us if you don't blog) I thought I would post some inspiration.  All of these looks can be created using a basic bodice pattern:

Cute stuff, huh...

So get started and lets have some fun creating dresses!

BTW... Dresses for women count too!  

Basic Bodice Design Series!

Get Excited!

Starting next week, we are having a really fun series.

This series will be spread out over the next few months, mixed in with our regular posts.  

The idea is that SO MANY amazing dresses start with a basic bodice pattern.  

All you have to do, is make some small adjustments to that pattern, and add fun skirts/sleeves/embellishments - and magic happens.  

So we (Autie and I, as well as our amazing line-up of guests) are 

going to take a basic bodice pattern, which everyone has access to, 

and show how to take that pattern 

and make something amazing from it.  

Now for the SUPER AWESOME lineup:

I will kick things off next week, then as for our guests:

November

Jessica from Craftiness is not Optional

Elizabeth and liZ from Simple Simon and Co.

An from Straight Grain
Jessica from Me Sew Crazy

December

Stefanie from Girl. Inspired

Kate from See Kate Sew
Alida from Alidamakes.com

January

Shauna from Shwin and Shwin

Delia from Delia Creates

Cherie from You and Mie

Abby from Sew Much Ado

Throughout the months, Autie and I will have a few more to add, as well.

ONE MORE THING!  

We want you to sew along!  

We will be having Linky Parties for those who want to sew along!  

We want to see your creations! They can be anything you sew using a basic bodice pattern.  

We will be highlighting our favorites in coming posts.  The first one will be mid-November to give you time to get working.

(iCandy) Cupboard Door Halloween sign

I'm still kicking through my awesome stash of cupboard doors!

I desperately needed a fun Halloween sign for my porch this year, and the cupboard door is ideal for signs and wall-hangings!

Fastest project ever!

-Spray Paint you door

-Ink around the edges

-Cut and adhere vinyl (I used the Pumpkin Carving Cricut Cartridge)

-staple-gun ribbon in place...

done!

(iCandy) my 2012 home-grown halloween decorations

Who doesn't love to update their Halloween decorations?  

When I pull my Halloween box out every year, or my Thanksgiving box, or my Christmas box...es...I think to myself: "what in the world was I thinking when I bought that?!"

So, each holiday, I'm trying my best to get rid of the stuff I don't LOVE, to make room for some updated decorations that I do!

This year, I had fun making a few new Halloween decorations that I thought I'd share with you!

 My first project was with my Mother-in-Law.  She and I concocted this outdoor creepy chandey for right outside my front door. 

We bought the plain light fixture from GoodWill on a particularly fabulous thrifting day.  We sprayed it black, along with a string of white pearls.  We bought a package of fake spider webs and some pumpkin lights at Michaels.  All we had to do was string the trail of pearls onto the chandelier itself.  The pumpkin tea-lights fit right on top of the light inserts.  I haven't seen many other doors with spooky chandeliers, so it's been fun to have up! (How will I store this one!)

 (supplies)

The next project I wanted to try was the good ole-fashioned cheesecloth ghosts.  I had some liquid starch sitting in the back of a cupboard, so this project was screaming to me.  We made mini ghosts to hang from my spooky tree, and also made ghostly garlands with them to string in front of my windows!  i love them!  (has anyone ever made these?!)  

To make them mini, we just barely blew up water balloons, and draped the 6"x 6" cheesecloth squares over it.  Fun and easy!

 and lastly, one day while my oldest was at school, my 3-year-old, Ivy and I thought we'd see how long it would take Max to notice a funny family picture.  She helped me pick out what each member of our family would be (and pushed the buttons on my cricut.)  Fun, random decoration!

(photo taken by Kim at Tickled Pink Studios)

(tutorial) DIY Monarch Butterfly Costume

Emily was dead-set on being a Monarch Butterfly this year.  I half-heartedly looked online at costumes, and nothing really stood out.  Monarch Butterfly wings are amazing.  I wanted wings that would be the star of the show.

I also wanted big wings.  Like to scale.

I thought about this costume for weeks before I actually got started.  I thought about construction techniques and materials for my big wings.  I researched and talked to artistic people.  Finally a plan began taking shape in my mind.  I started collecting the materials.  Last week, I started.

I began with the antennas.  They were the least intimidating.  I hot-fixed orange rhinestones all over them.  Then I made the dress.  Layers of sequins and fringe.  What fun.

(This picture is a bit out-of-focus, sorry!)

Then the wings.  Oh, where to begin? 

First of all, I HATE glue guns now.  

I swear I was like a fly trapped in a web with all those glue strings.  

I think I glued 60 yards of sequins onto those wings, and there was about 60 yards of glue strings that I was trapped in.  

For what its worth, I will share my process with you... only know that these wings took me about 11 hours of work.  Yikes!  You might want to buy some!

Also, because they were an experiment, there are probably better ways of doing things.  

The verdict? The construction needs a bit more stabilizing (in the center...will tackle before Halloween) but they did turn out the way I envisioned.  Phew.

And I have a happy butterfly who was a 

really great sport while taking these pictures.

She can't wait for Halloween!

If you are interested in my process,

(tutorial and pattern) Bumble Bee Costume

Jen and I were asked to participate in a handmade costume series on The Train to Crazy at the beginning of this month.  My 3 year old's costume was the one I chose to submit as a guest post over there.  I love it!  Back in August, I asked Ivy what she wanted to be...she didn't even have to think about the question at all...she knew right away!

a Bumble Bee...here she is!

When Ivy said Bumble Bee, my mind went instantly to it's stinger, and how cute she would be running around with a giant stinger on her little booty.  eek!

So, I concocted a plan so that that thing would be out as plain as day!  I wanted to bee sure to see the stinger! (hee hee, sorry!)

I chose to work with mostly felt because it's cheap and so forgiving, and then embellished with a few different odds and ends.  I had so much fun putting this costume together!

She's layered to the hilt with knit leggings.  Then a long-sleeve black leotard that I got at WalMart.  I hand-stitched her stinger on (and it's just a styrofoam cone covered with fabric).  Next, her fabulously felt dress, and lastly her home-made felt wings.  (antennae I bought at Joann's)

If you'd like to make one of these dresses yourself (it's actually very versatile, and would be a cute base for quite a few costumes, like a kitty or a ladybug, etc.

You can find the pattern{here}as a Google doc

(Sponsor Spotlight) Violette Field Threads

Have you taken a look at Violette Field Threads lately?  

I always love to browse through

their patterns.  Gorgeous designs, and gorgeous photography.  

Their instructions are clear and they are super fun to make.  

They have patterns for beginners too - something for everyone.

Here is my favorite new pattern:

The Josephine Blouse and Dress

Both designs are included in the pattern.  Aren't they adorable?

There are some other new patterns too if you haven't checked them out for a while...

go here to see them!

(tutorial and pattern) Semi-Homemade Pirate Costume: DIY Pirate Boots

Aaron is obsessed with Pirates, Car Washes and Garbage Trucks.  It is really fun.

Thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, his nightly lullaby is the Yo Ho song.  He has been known to belt it out at really odd times, like while sitting in the Target shopping cart.  One lady came up to me and told me she heard it across the store.  

So we thought it appropriate that he be a pirate this year for Halloween.  I wasn't sure what direction I was taking the costume, but that was settled when Autie found a fabulous pirate jacket at Goodwill.  So I have been spending this week making and putting together this costume (and starting on Emily's) instead of KCWC.  :(  Maybe next time.

 He looks a little spooky here...

The original jacket had muslin cuffs, but I ripped those off and added lace ones instead.  

Using a pair of existing loose pants, I whipped out a pair of red and black Pirate Pants.

(just don't look at my white thread...I was too lazy to change it when you can't see it anyway)

Since you can't really see the shirt, I bought a simple white tee and added a lace cravat.  I just zigzagged the lace and cut it off, then folded it over the neckline and 

sewed a stitch through both layers.  Super easy.

Augghhh. Now for the tricky part.  He NEEDED cool pirate boots.  At first I was going to make just the shoe toppers but then I thought why not make a whole boot?  With the sole made out of three layers of felt, they would last a few wears.

So I draped a shoe.  With some scrap fabric.  It was a total crapshoot.  

I had no idea if it would work at all!  

I am sharing my pattern with you, as well as how I made them.  This is not a pretty pattern, nor is it perfect.  But with a little trimming here and there as you go, the end result is pretty darn cool.  At least I think so!  :)  

These boots would fit a size 8-9 shoe size.  (Maybe 7 too with really thick socks?)